Life changing experience I will never forget! Past Review
By Leah M (Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography., Millersville University of Pennsylvania) - abroad from 07/06/2011 to 07/30/2011 with
Broadreach - Reviews from Former Locations
I learned so many valuable things from taking this course. Being able to have such a hands on ecpereince doubles your learning experience as well. I learned to appreciate the little things in life like simple things for instance cold water, dry towels, and cooked meals. I got to build on my leadership skills and really learn how to be a team player. I also got to learn how to deal with people in close quarters and address problems in the right way. I gained many close friends in just a months short time. The things we got to see were absolutely breath taking and being able to share these moments with other eager learning people really makes it that much more great. Best trip of my life, hands down!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had the most hands on experiences of my life here. Everything we learned in lecture we were able to apply to the field and area we were in. This course really set me up for my future marine courses at my university. Every marine related course I have taken at my school I have been able to relate in some way or another my hands on experience in the Caribbean. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived on a huge catamaran for a month straight! How could you complain in any way about that! The ocean was our backyard! |
| * Food: |
Food was great! We had plenty of snacks to fuel our energy throughout the day and the meals were all cooked by us. I love cooking so I thought it was an awesome experience to be able to cook on a boat. Everything done on a boat is ten times more enjoyable. Even clean ups!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt fully immersed in the Caribbean culture, almost as if I was one of them. Our nights off were spent dancing and singing with the locals and we even got to go horse back riding through a locals property! I especially loved being able to contribute through community service. You can defiantly tell they appreciated it a lot. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Staff was quite common on these trips and me being super acceptable to it gave me an automatic in with the infection. I told one of my leaders as soon as I knew it was staff and that day I was taken to the doctors office that had no wait and saw a doctor immediately who prescribed me medicine that was a little to no expense. There was only a week left of the trip so when I got home I got further treatment and it ended up clearing up shortly after that. |
| * Safety: |
I felt super safe the whole trip. There was not one moment where I felt uncomfortable at all. We even got to hitch hike on Saba. Locals are so friendly and helpful! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Once you've paid for the trip you have little costs that you have to actually pay for when you are there. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent probably a total of 200-300 dollars on trip. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I used left over money from my student to pay for these trips. I was taking out the full amount every year for my university and using any leftover that I saved each semester to put towards my trip. Also I made myself work weekends to save up for the flight and extra costs. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would of came on the trip with a better base tan so I didn't get burnt as much. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
